"Hello?", she said.

There was no reply.

"Hello?", he repeated, but still no-one answered. She put it down and sighed, "Not again"

She hadn't had any dead phones for a few days and she almost forgot about them until this one. She drew the quilt up and cringed, feeling the anxiety arising. Now she regretted she hadn't invited Dempsey in. She didn't sleep well that night. She kept waking up and listening to any unusual sound. When she finally managed to fall sleep deeply, the phone woke her. She shuddered at the sound and opened her eyes realising it was already morning. The phone rang again. She looked at it and then at the watch which displayed 9.00. She hesitated before she picked up the phone.

"Hello?", she said cautiously.

"Hi Princess", a familiar voice greeted her and she smiled relieved and happy to hear him.

"Hi", she replied.

"Sleep well?"

"Yes", she lied. "And you?"

"Yes, but not long enough", he replied. "So what are you doing?"

"Planning"

"The day with your family?"

"No, planning to get up actually"

"You're still in bed?", he sounded surprised.

"Yep"

"If I realised that, I'd wake you up personally"

"Too late. I'm already awake"

"I'll try my luck next time"

"Ok", she said. "So what are you going to do today?"

"I don't know. Keep dreaming I guess"

"What about?", she asked without thinking.

"You", he said softly. "You and me as a matter of fact"

"Oh, yeah? And what exactly … about you and me?", she asked. She needed to hear something, anything to take her mind off the dead phone calls.

"In fact, I'm planning…", he said mysteriously.

"What?"

"A romantic weekend with you"

"Oh, does it mean I'll have to wait the whole week for anything romantic?"

"Would you like that sooner?"

"I'm just discovering the romantic in you", she said. "And I like that"

"What did I tell you? – just give me a chance"

"I have, haven't I?"

"Now I have to do my best not to disappoint you"

"Then go on planning"

"And you? When are you meeting your family?"

"Around lunch time"

"So you'd better get up"

"I suppose I'd better"

"Harry?"

"Yes?"

"I dream … of falling asleep and waking up with you in my arms", he whispered.

There was silence on the other side of the phone. Her heart beat stronger and she was speechless.

"Harry? Are you there?"

"Yes", she replied.

"Do you think my dream will come true?"

"I believe in dreams coming true, James", she said.

"So do I, Princess", he said. "So do I"

"And now I really must go"

"Ok", he said. "Have a nice day"

"You too"

The moment she hang up, she had this strange feeling. She realised she missed him already. Very unwillingly, she got out of bed and went to have a shower.

About two hours later, she was in her car dressed in linen trousers and a beige top. She wasn't quite sure she was doing the right thing. Maybe she should have called, maybe she should have stayed at home, maybe…

"Oh, just stop that", she cursed herself under the nose. She pulled up and took a deep breath before she got out of the car. The closer she got to the door, the heart beat She knocked on the door and waited. There was no escape now. She heard some noise inside and finally the door opened. What she saw made her heart stop. There was a young tall woman wearing a bathing towel and nothing but. Harry looked at the door to make sure she knocked at the right one, but there was no mistake. "Can I help you?", the woman asked.

'There's an almost naked woman in his flat. There's a woman in Dempsey's flat', she couldn't think of anything else.